Mariah's Problem
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: AU. Don had a daughter named Mariah when he was seventeen. Now twenty year old Mariah has a huge problem-She's in love with one of her father's best friends-Colby Granger.
1. Chapter 1

I'm going with the idea that Don's 37 and Charlie's 32.

Mariah Lynn Eppes, age twenty, had a huge problem- A very huge problem. She was in love with her father's co-worker, Colby Granger.

Mariah had been born to Don when he was seventeen. Don had married Mariah's mother Diana, but the marriage had ended when Mariah was three. Don was still in college and Diana had just abandoned him with three year old Mariah and two month old Gretchen Amelia Eppes. Gretchen was now seventeen and in her last year of high school.

Twenty year old Don moved in with Alan and Margaret following the divorce. Mariah and Gretchen came with him, of course because Diana didn't want to be a part of her daughters' lives.

Mariah was now attending college. If she had any trouble with math she went to Uncle Charlie. When she needed help with anything space related, she went to Uncle Larry. When she was younger, she went to her grandmother, father, grandfather, and Uncle Charlie. The only thing she never went to Uncle Charlie for was spelling.

Mariah had been fifteen and Gretchen had been twelve when Margaret Eppes died from cancer. Mariah had been devastated, but she had been the only one able to get her out of the garage during the last three months of her grandmother's life. Because of this, Charlie hadn't been involved so deep in P vs NP and had been there to say good-bye to his mother.

Mariah loved her family. Despite being a teenager when she met them, Megan became Aunt Megan. David became Uncle David. Terry was briefly "Potential to Be Stepmother" in private, but that spot was now taken up by Robin Brooks.

The only one she didn't call uncle was Colby. Mariah was eighteen when she realized she was in love with Colby Granger. She knew she couldn't act on her feelings because Colby and Don were friends. She reacted the strongest about Colby potentially being a spy by declaring his innocence immediately.

Oh, yeah. Mariah Eppes had a huge problem.

TBC

* * *

I just started uploading stories today. I had this idea a long time ago. Despite the fact that I press tab a million times, I still can't indent the beginning of a paragraph.


	2. Colby's Side

Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs

Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs. It belongs to CBS and Cheryl and Nick.

Colby Granger had noticed the way Mariah Eppes looked at him, but he wasn't sure how he felt about her. Especially since his boss was her father. Mariah was nice.

Colby had actually started out hating the annoying teenager, but she had grown up in the past few years.

Mariah was the first one to figure out that Megan was pregnant, even though she and Larry were hiding it at the time.Three weeks ago, Megan and Larry had welcomed twin daughters Skye Lily and Aurora Rhiannon Reeves-Fleinhardt.

Colby was content to be just friends with Mariah. He wasn't even sure that if he had feelings for Mariah that he would act on them.

"What are you thinking about," David asked his best friend.

"Nothing," Colby replied. "I was just wondering when Don's going to ask Robin to marry him."

Don and Robin had been back together for seven months, and Don had just bought an engagement ring. Larry and Megan had eloped to Vegas in Megan's seventh month of pregnancy. Megan Reeves had become Megan Reeves-Fleinhardt. She was currently on maternity leave.

Colby hoped he figured out his feelings for Mariah soon, or he wasn't sure what was going to happen.

One reviewer mentioned that Mariah is a Mary Sue. That's not what I'm going for. It's also what I was afraid of. I'm trying to un Mary Sue her. I also added in Larry and Megan babies because it was so obvious in last night's episode that Diane is showing. I know Diane's leaving, but I don't care. In my little AU world, she's staying.


	3. Gretchen Eppes

Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs or the characters. I only own Mariah and Gretchen.

**Gretchen Eppes**

Seventeen year old Gretchen Eppes was ready to be done with high school. "You can wait," Don had scolded his daughter when she started three weeks earlier.

"But I want to see Uncle Larry and Aunt Megan's babies," Gretchen had whined.

"You'll see them after school and on the weekends," Alan told his granddaughter.

Despite the fact that he had two granddaughters, Alan was gunning for more grandchildren. He even considered Megan and Larry's daughters his granddaughters, and they decided it was fine. If you included the Reeves-Fleinhardt twins, Alan had four granddaughters.

"He's starting in on Uncle Charlie and Aunt Amita," a laughing Gretchen told Mariah only two days earlier.

Mariah rolled her eyes. "Grandpa has way too much time on his hands."

Everything thought Mariah was perfect, but Gretchen knew better.

Mariah had been sixteen when she had a pregnancy scare. She had only told Gretchen and Terry Lake. When the test came out negative, Mariah had broken into Don, Charlie, and Alan's liquor cabinet.

Mariah had briefly been involved in a relationship that ended when she cheated on the guy. She claimed that he had cheated on her first, so Gretchen couldn't fault her sister for that.

"What you thinking about," David asked the teenager.

"I'm thinking about school ending."

"Kiddo, school doesn't end for months."

"I know that, Uncle David. I'm not stupid."

Gretchen sighed. She wanted to be an FBI agent. She couldn't wait, although her father vehemently opposed her decision.

Gretchen wasn't like Mariah. She was better than Mariah. Gretchen and Mariah had never gotten along well. Gretchen secretly resented Mariah for getting three years with their mother. Gretchen had only been a few months old when Diana skipped town. Don hadn't had any contact with his ex-wife since she left.

Don had moved in with Alan, Charlie, and Margaret temporarily. He moved to Albuquerque for six months, before transferring back to LA. It was hard raising two little girls on his own. Now, they were still living there.

Nobody knew what was going to happen with Mariah and Colby, or that the ex-Mrs. Eppes was about to show up in town looking for her daughters.

TBC


	4. Don and The Plan

Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs

**Don**

Don wasn't oblivious. He knew that his oldest daughter was in love with Colby. He also knew that Colby felt the same way, even if Colby didn't know it yet.

"She's never going to tell him how she feels," Megan told Don after finally getting the twins to sleep.

"She will if I tell her I'm fine with it," Don had told her and Larry.

"That will only panic her," Larry had pointed out. Don had agreed, but Robin, Amita, Millie, and Megan were coming up with a plan to get Mariah and Colby together.

Gretchen was being kept out of the loop because she couldn't keep a secret.

Don had immediately learned about Mariah's pregnancy scare a few years earlier because of his youngest daughter.

He freaked out about that, but Charlie had freaked out even worse. Upon being questioned about his reaction, Charlie had confessed he had gotten Susan Berry pregnant when they were together. The then nineteen year old had panicked-until Susan lost the baby two days later.

That had pretty much been the end of Susan and Charlie's relationship. Charlie hadn't even told his mother about Susan's pregnancy and miscarriage. Margaret would have been extremely disappointed if she had known. She had been furious with Don for becoming a teenage father, and only stopped being angry once Mariah was born.

Don's ex-wife Diane had already left by the time that Susan had lost the baby.

The last time Don heard from her, Diane was about to marry for a fourth time. Mariah and Gretchen didn't even know what their mother was doing.

"What are you thinking about," Robin asked Don.

"The girls," Don answered.

"The girls and I just finished our plan and are going to start implementing it tonight," Robin explained.

"Good luck," Don told her.

"Sweetie, go watch a movie," Robin said. Don laughed and went into the living room.

Alan came into the room, followed by Millie.

"What are you doing," Millie asked.

We're going to implement the plan," Robin told her.

"We eloped," Alan cried. Don stared in shock at his father and new stepmother.

"It was spur of the moment and wonderful," Millie explained.

"Charlie's going to freak," Don sing-songed happily.

"Congratulations," Robin told the newlyweds. Don nodded in agreement.

"I'm happy for you both," Don told them.

"I'm glad to be your stepmom," Millie confessed to her new stepson.

"I'm glad you're my stepmom," Don said.

Three hours later, _Operation Cariah_ ("Because Molby's stupid," Amita had cried. "And Cariah's not?" Megan had asked.) was full speed ahead.

Nobody knew the former Diane Eppes was on her way to Pasadena.

TBC


	5. Diane Shows Up

Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs.

Warning: Spoilers for the season finale. The only thing I changed was Megan leaving. She's doing whatever she was going to in D.C. in LA.

Diane Martin's fifth marriage had just ended. After years of being away from California, she wanted to see Mariah and Gretchen.

"I'm coming girls," she whispered. She wanted custody of Gretchen, and hoped she would get it.

"What are you doing?" Don asked Charlie.

"Nothing," he complained. He had been going crazy since the loss of his security clearance and the fact that he no longer consulted with the FBI.

"Charlie," Don said.

"I'm bored," Charlie whined.

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you did something stupid," Mariah told her uncle as she passed by.

"Mariah," Don warned.

"Sorry, Uncle Charlie," she said.

"It's okay, Mari."

Robin came into the room, smiling.

"You okay?" Don asked her.

She nodded. "Can we talk somewhere private?" Robin asked.

"Sure," Don answered.

When the two went into the kitchen, Robin kissed Don.

"I'm pregnant," Robin announced. Don stared at her in shock for a few seconds, but smiled. He laughed and kissed her.

"I'm so happy," Don said.

"I'm two months along," Robin explained.

"You're pregnant?" Alan asked.

Robin and Don nodded. Alan hugged his future daughter-in-law.

"Don't tell anyone yet," Don said to his father while Robin nodded in agreement.

"I won't," Alan promised.

Mariah and Colby sat at the dining room table, talking.

When the doorbell rang, the group exchanged a look. Everyone was already there.

Don got up and answered the door.

When he opened it, he was shocked to see his ex-wife.

"What are you doing here?" Don asked.

"I came to see my girls," Diane told him.

"They're _our _girls," a smirking Don told her, pointing to Robin.

"I don't want to talk to her," Mariah told Colby and bolted up the stairs.

"I'll go with you," Gretchen cried. She shot a look at Diane and followed Mariah upstairs.

"What's wrong with them?" Diane asked.

"You haven't talked to them in seventeen years," Charlie told her as Megan and Amita followed the girls up the steps.

"So you're the girls' mother," Millie said.

"Who are you?" Diane asked.

"I'm Don and Charlie's stepmother," she told Diane gleefully.

"They don't need you," an angry Alan told his former daughter-in-law.

The trip wasn't going to go well for Diane, but she didn't know that yet.

TBC

* * *

After this is over, look for a new angsty story. It's going to be in September 2008(Season 5) and go from there. Charlie's life is falling apart. He lost his security clearance and can't work with Don, Don has amnesia from an incident at work, Alan had just announced he's dying from cancer, and nothing is go well. I thought about this story last night after the season finale. It got so angsty in my head that I started crying. I had this idea for awhile, but it'll take me awhile to write it out.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs.

"I don't want to see her," Mariah sobbed to Megan, who rubbed her hand across Mariah's back.

"I know sweetheart," she comforted.

In the bed across from her, Amita was comforting Gretchen. "I don't like her, Aunt Amita."

"I know, Baby Girl. But she probably won't stay long."

After Mariah and Gretchen calmed down, Megan and Amita went back downstairs.

"How are they?" Don asked.

"Crying hysterically," Megan replied. Robin bolted towards the bathroom.

"Is she okay?" Amita asked as Don followed Robin to the bathroom.

"Flu," Alan lied. Megan however, instinctively knew it wasn't the flu. She had bolted to the bathroom many times during her pregnancy with Skye and Aurora.

"Why are they so upset?" a clueless Diane asked.

"You abandoned them," an angry Charlie pointed out.

"I couldn't handle being a mother when I was so young."

"You could have said something," Don told Diane as he and Robin came out of the bathroom.

"I was scared," Diane said.

"I don't know you, bet you hurt those girls and don't deserve them," Colby told her.

"You have no right," Diane said angrily.

"You have no right," Don told her.

"I want custody of Gretchen." Don laughed.

"Diane, you won't get custody of her. She doesn't know yet. You're irresponsible and flighty."

"I will sue for custody," Diane screamed.

"Diane, I'll win. Besides, she's turning eighteen in a few months."

Mariah came down the steps.

"I love you," Diane desperately told her.

"I don't love you," Mariah said.

"How can you say that to me?" Diane asked.

"Easy, Diana. You abandoned me. Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, and Uncle Charlie raised me. All you did was give birth to me. Your only ties are biological. Any of my future kids will know Robin as grandma."

"I never wanted you in the first place. Your father made me keep you. When he asked me to marry him, I agreed just so he could have you when I left. I planned to leave after high school graduation, but Margaret convinced me to stay. She told me that I'd regret leaving. When I found out I was pregnant again, I had to stay. You were a mistake," Diane snarled.

"It's your own fault," Mariah pointed out. She was proud of herself for the fact that her voice didn't break.

"I think you should leave," Don told Diane.

"Fine. I'm just never coming back." Diane turned and walked out the door.

"Nobody cares about you," Charlie sing-songed to her back.

Mariah bolted back upstairs.

"I'll go talk to her," Colby said.

"We might not need our plan," Robin told Megan and Amita. They nodded.

"She's selfish," Colby told a sobbing Mariah.

"I really thought she loved me," Mariah sobbed.

A moment of clarity hit Colby. "You have plenty of people who love you, Mariah Eppes."

"I know that, Colby."

"You don't understand Mari. I'm in love with you."

Mariah's sobs stopped and she turned to Colby. "I'm in love with you too," she sniffled.

Colby smiled and leaned in for a kiss. The two began to make out.

When they pulled apart, Mariah had finally calmed down.

The two went downstairs, holding hands. The girls squealed.

"Take care of her or I'll hurt you," Don warned.

"I'll take care of her," Colby promised.

"I'm happy," Mariah said.

Their friends and relatives had a plan to get Mariah Eppes and Colby Granger, but fate had other plans.

TBC

* * *

I forgot Megan and Larry's twins' names, so I had to go the first chapter. I messed up Don's ex-wife's name-It's Diana. But that's okay. I know a Diana whose nickname is Diane, so it works. Go on to the epilogue now.


	7. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs.

Warning: Mention of miscarriage and stillbirth.

**Epilogue**

Thirty-six year old Mariah Eppes-Granger smiled as she looked through a photo album.

The unborn baby inside of her kicked hard, and Mariah winced.

She and Colby had married in 2011. Don had walked her down the aisle. Megan and Larry's girls, Skye and Aurora, had been the flower girls. David had been best man. Gretchen had been her maid-of-honor. They had married on February 16th, 2011.

Robin Brooks-Eppes, eight months pregnant at the time, had sobbed during the entire ceremony. She only calmed down during the reception.

Mariah and Gretchen's then two year old half brother Charles Alan Eppes (Cal for short) had been the ring bearer.

The newly married couple had traveled to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon.

A month later, Robin gave birth to a son that was named Joshua Stephen David Eppes. Josh's birth was the next to occur. Three weeks later, Megan and Larry had welcomed a daughter named Cassandra Marie Reeves-Fleinhardt.

Mariah had become pregnant in July 2011. She gave birth on May 24th, 2012 to a daughter that was named Kylie Robin Eppes-Granger.

Amita and Charlie had welcomed their daughter-Margaret May Eppes (Maggie May) only five weeks earlier. Their son Donald Alan (Danny) had only been eleven months old.

Mariah and Colby loved Kylie. Mariah, now an FBI agent, took some time off to take care of her daughter.

Mariah unfortunately miscarried when Kylie was fourteen months old. The miscarriage put a strain in the couple, especially since David's wife Melanie had just given birth to a healthy son named David Donald Sinclair Junior (DJ).

Mariah chose to deal with her miscarriage by pretending it wasn't a big deal. Colby saw right through his wife, however. Once she realized her husband knew what her defense mechanism was, she started lashing out.

Things came to a head when Colby walked out after a fight. Their friends and family tried to help the couple, but both were too hurt to do anything.

Everything changed when Colby was shot by a suspect. They got back together and began to attend therapy with Dr. Bradford.

Mariah also went to therapy by herself. The miscarriage and separation had taken a toll on her.

The separation had only lasted six months, but it had been a bad six months.

Mariah became pregnant again shortly before Kylie's third birthday.

She gave birth on August 7th, 2015 to a son that was named Dylan Donald Eppes-Granger. Dylan was perfectly healthy. Older sister Kylie adored him.

Mariah had become pregnant shortly afterwards. Unfortunately, tragedy struck when she gave birth on July 11th, 2016. Their daughter-their third child-had been stillborn.

Colby and Mariah named their daughter Ariana Grace Eppes-Granger, and buried her next to Margaret Eppes.

Devastated, Colby and Mariah continued to go to therapy. Robin had just announced her third pregnancy just days before Ariana's stillbirth.

The couple worked through their grief. On February 9th, 2017, Robin and Don welcomed a daughter they named Margaret Ariana Eppes. She was nicknamed Maggie. Maggie was Don and Robin's final child. Robin had been forty-three at the time.

Gretchen, then twenty-six, announced her engagement to boyfriend Michael Jones, a doctor, shortly after Maggie's birth.

To help get over their grief, Mariah and Colby threw themselves into their marriage, their jobs, and Kylie and Dylan. They also took care of eight year old Cal, six year old Josh, and newborn Maggie on the weekends.

Mariah became pregnant again at the age of thirty-one. She gave birth on October 30th, 2019 to a healthy daughter named Avery Rebecca Eppes-Granger. There were no problems at all during the pregnancy.

Avery had been eight months old when Diane died in a car accident.

Two years after that, Mariah and Colby welcomed a daughter named Jocelyn Amita Eppes-Granger. Jocelyn was born on December 3rd, 2021. Mariah had been thirty-three.

Gretchen began to baby-sit for the couple more, especially when they needed alone time.

Mariah had just learned of her recent pregnancy six months earlier. She was now eight months along with a son to be named Matthew Caleb Eppes-Granger. Her pregnancy was going great. She was due on March 26th, 2024.

Nearly twelve year old Kylie, eight year old Dylan, four year old Avery, and two year old Jocelyn couldn't wait to meet Matthew. Dylan desperately wanted a brother to have some standing against Kylie, Avery, and Jocelyn.

Ariana's stillbirth had been the result of a pregnancy laced with complications. Mariah nearly miscarried and had ended up in emergency surgery. Because of high blood pressure, she had been placed on bed rest. Premature labor had also been stopped in the seventh month of pregnancy. All of Mariah's pregnancies after Ariana had been free from complications.

Mariah didn't regret her life. She was about to become an aunt in two weeks.

Life couldn't be better. She and Colby had been married for thirteen years.

Colby and Mariah were soul mates. They were together for life. Nothing stopped them.

The End

* * *

I wanted Mariah and Colby to end up married. I was also contemplating them not getting together and marrying other people. I added the miscarriage and stillbirth in because I wanted some drama for the Eppes-Granger family. Isn't it weird that Colby ended up Don's son-in-law?

Look for my new story:Charlie's Devastation.

Here's a preview:  
_"You're lying," Charlie shrieked. Don and Alan winced at the sheer volume of Charlie's voice. "Charlie, I'm not lying," Alan gently told his youngest son. Charlie began to run backwards. He turned around and bolted to the safest place he knew-The garage. This couldn't be happening. Why was everything bad happening to him lately? He began writing down equations on the blackboard, not realizing he had retreated back to P Vs. NP for the first time since the case where Don had gotten shot. _


End file.
